Land and Sea
by Jyuoa
Summary: A regular girl longs to find her missing mother. When she discovers she can become a mermaid, she befriends Ariel and they decide to help each other. But she soon becomes torn between worlds. Can she unite them or will she lose her new friends? OC/OC A/E
1. Prologue

A brown-haired girl was looking out to the sea. The sun was out and she was sitting outside on top of a rock. "Ashley?" She turned around to see a blonde guy coming toward her.

"Hey. How'd you know I'd be here?" The girl looked at him, her eyes sparkling.

"Well, you spend nearly every single day at the beach. It wasn't that hard to figure out." He told her.

"I guess I just come out here to think, wondering if she's out there somewhere." The girl explained. "My dad says that mom always loved the beach and the ocean. I guess it makes me feel connected to her."

"Yeah, what happened to her?" The guy asked.

"I told you a hundred times, Brandon. I don't know where she is. My father never talks about it." The girl looked away sadly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you, Ashley."

"I know it's not your fault, it's just never knowing where she is. Who she is, what she is." Ashley explained. "Every photo I've seen of her alone, I've only seen the back of her head. She was long, brown hair like me. She could be anywhere."

"I'm sure wherever she is, Ashley, you'll find her." Brandon told her. "And I'll help you in any way I can."

"You're a great friend, Brandon." Ashley said. He put his arm around her shoulder. She smiled at him.

"Yeah, I am pretty awesome."

"Uh, you always have to do that, don't you?" Ashley asked.

"What?"

"You always act nice and supportive, then turn into an arrogant jerk!" Ashley said.

"Oh, you haven't seen arrogant yet." Brandon said. He walked into the shallow water.

"You wouldn't. Brandon, don't…" Brandon splashed some water into her face and hair. "You are gonna be sorry now!" She ran over and splashed him back. An instant later, they were having a splash fight.

After what felt like a long time, the two sat down on the beach and were looking up at the sky. "Have you learned your lesson yet?"

"Okay, okay. I surrender." Brandon told her. "Once again, the maiden of the sea has won the splash war."

"You know you always lose every time you start them." Ashley said.

"But I was serious about helping you find you're mother, Ashley." Brandon said. "Hey, look at this." He dug a small sea shell out of the sand.

"I've never seen a shell like this before." Ashley said. "It's so beautiful." She looked at it. The sun reflected off it, making a beautiful gold color. "Huh?"

"You can keep it. It's almost as beautiful as you." Brandon said.

"Thank you, Brandon." Ashley said. "For this day. I feel like I'll be able to find my mom soon. Even if I have to search the ocean." However, she didn't know how far across the beach and underwater she'd go to complete her journey.


	2. Mysterious Voice

Ashley returned to the beach a few days later. "Brandon, what are you doing here?"

"I've been waiting for you to show up." Brandon told her as she sat down beside him. "So, any ideas on where to start looking?"

"No." Ashley said. "My dad rarely talks about her. I guess he misses her."

"What do you really know about her? Anything that can help us?"

"Not really." Ashley said. "Other than her appearance, we've got nothing to go on."

"Well, that's a bust." Brandon said.

"Tell me about it." Ashley said. "Hey, I'll race you to that rock in the middle of the ocean."

"You're on!" They ran into the water and started swimming. Ashley was further ahead than Brandon was.

"You're never going to catch up in time!" Ashley yelled to him.

"We'll see about that!" Brandon called back.

All of a sudden, Ashley's foot fell asleep. She couldn't move. As Brandon passed her, she found herself sinking lower into the water. "Ashley!" She heard him call, but she was too far down. She knew she had to do something, otherwise she'd drown. Her eyes were closed and she was ready to give up, when she heard something in the distance.

"What is that?" Ashley thought to herself. Then she heard it again. Soft music, and someone singing a melody.

"Daughter of two worlds,

separated by the sea

To reunite them,

And restore harmony."

Almost instantly, Ashley had her strength back and managed to kick her way back up to the surface. The next thing she knew, she was lying on top of the beach and looking up at the sky. "Ashley, are you okay?" Brandon appeared and she sat up.

"I think so. What happened?" Ashley asked.

"You almost drowned. I saw you struggling to kick yourself up, so I pulled you out." Brandon told her. "What happened to you?"

"My foot slipped when I turned around, but I'm fine now." Ashley said.

"Well, you certainly seem like you're normal again, but that was a close call." Brandon said. "I don't think you should go in the water anymore."

"What are you talking about?"

"Ashley, you almost died. I don't want to end up losing you." Brandon said.

"Brandon, I'll be fine. What's the worst that could happen if I go back in there? I run into some harmless little fish?" Ashley pointed out.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I'm just worried about you." Brandon said.

"You're my friend, Brandon. But friends should trust each other when they say they'll be fine." Ashley said. "Guess my search is going to have to wait."

"Yeah, because you never know what might happen in there." Brandon pointed out.


	3. I'm A Mermaid?

When Ashley got up the next morning, she looked out her bedroom window and saw the sun up over the beach. She ran downstairs and headed out to make sure Brandon wasn't around. After looking out from her beach house, she headed back in.

"So, meeting your friend today?" She turned around in surprise.

"Dad, I'm fifteen. I think I can handle a little alone time at the beach." Ashley told him.

"I know, it's just hard watching you grow up. Since your mother left…" He trailed off, looking away.

"Look, I miss her too. But I never knew what happened to her." Ashley said.

"She went home to attend family business, but she never came back." He explained. "You were too young to remember her."

"Where was she from?"

"I'm not sure. It's been a long time since the last I saw her."

"I'm going now." Ashley said. "I'll be back before sundown."

On the beach, Ashley had changed into a light blue tank top and denim capris. She had a small bucket with her. If it was really nice out, she'd come out to collect seashells. "I wonder where she really is." Ashley thought to herself. She walked along the shoreline. She found a shell close to the edge.

"That almost looks like the one Brandon found." Ashley remembered. She picked it up and put in the bucket. She spotted a small charm near the shell. She reached in to pick it up, but leaned in too far and fell into the ocean.

"Not again!" Ashley said as she surfaced her head above water. "I must look like a train wreck, always falling into the water like this." She tried to pull herself out, but no one was around and she had nothing to grab onto. "Guess I'm stuck here."

She allowed herself to fall back into the sea. She passed out within minutes. It seemed like an eternity had passed before she heard someone speaking to her.

"Are you okay?" A voice asked. Ashley was afraid to try to speak and wouldn't open her eyes.

"I don't think she's awake." She heard another voice say.

"No, I saw her move before." The first voice said. "Can you hear me?" Ashley nodded. "Okay, that's good. You're not hurt, are you?" Ashley shook her head and tried not to laugh.

"Wherever I am, this is strange." Ashley thought silently.

"Try to open your eyes." The voice told her. Ashley shook her head. "I promise that you're going to be okay."

"How do you know?" Ashley asked. She gasped in surprise. "I can breathe?"

"Please, just trust me." She felt someone grab her hand. After a small inner struggle she opened her eyes. There was a girl with long, red hair in front of her. "What happened to you?"

"I don't know." Ashley told her.

"Do you think she lost her memory?" A small fish asked the girl.

"Okay, I have to be dreaming now." Ashley said. "Fish don't speak where I come from."

"Where do you come from? Some foreign ocean?" The girl asked.

"No, why would you ask…" Ashley trailed off as the girl swam behind her and sat next to her on a small rock. For the first time, she got a good look at her. "I'm sorry, it's just, you're…a mermaid."

"Well, so are you." The girl told her. Ashley looked down. Her shirt had become tighter to fit around her top half and her legs had been replaced by a light blue tail. "It looked as though you'd been in some kind of accident."

"How is this possible?" Ashley asked. "One minute I'm on the surface collecting seashells, then I fall into the ocean and get turned into a mermaid?"

"Wait, you're not really…"

"I remember being a human." Ashley told her. "I can't swim very well, and I promised my father I'd be home before sundown."

"I can help you with that." The girl told her. "But don't tell anyone here about being human. A lot of merfolk don't trust them. Don't worry, I'll keep your secret."

"Thanks." Ashley said. "And thanks for helping before, Miss…."

"Ariel." The girl said. "My name's Ariel."

"I'm Ashley."

"Oh, and this is my friend, Flounder." Ariel said.

"You're a lot different than I thought a mermaid would be." Ashley told her.

"Well, I've always been curious about things." Ariel explained. "My father and older sisters say that I get it from my mom."

"Yeah, that's what my dad says to me all the time." Ashley said. She tried to swim up to Ariel, but was having difficulty. Ariel turned back and headed over to her.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just not used to moving around with these fins." Ashley told her.

"You really are new to this mermaid thing, aren't you?" Flounder realized.

"I usually don't go underwater." Ashley explained.

"From what I've seen from a distance, humans kick their feet while their swimming, right?" Ariel asked. "Maybe if you kick off with both of your fins, it'll help."

"I'll try it." Ashley said. She focused on the movement of her tail. She felt herself move through the water easily. "Whoa, I did it."

"Nice job, Ashley." Ariel told her. "Come on. I want to show you something." They swam off. Ashley noticed many different plants and fish.

"I had no idea how beautiful it could be down here." Ashley said.

"Well, you're still pretty new to these areas." Ariel pointed out.

"Ariel!"

"Oh, no." Ariel said. The group turned around. A crab came over to them.

"A crab?" Ashley asked.

"Ariel, where have you been? You're father has been wondering where you were. Everyone's waiting for you at the palace." He told her.

"I'm sorry, Sebastian. I was showing Ashley around." Ariel told him. "She's new around here."

"Well, we had better be going." Sebastian said. They began to swim away.

"Wait!" Ashley called to them. "How do I get to the surface?"

"Just swim up until you reach it." Ariel called back. Ashley took her advice and started swimming as hard as she could until she broke through the surface of the water. She swam over a few feet to the shallow end. She glanced back and noticed the sun setting.

"How am can I go home like…" Ashley paused. She felt like she was changing. After a few moments, she was back to normal. "Well, that was easy." She headed back to the beach house.


	4. Feeling Trapped

Ashley headed out to the beach the next day. She wasn't sure if she'd imagined everything that had happened. "Ashley!" She heard a voice call out. She turned around.

"Not now, Brandon." Ashley said.

"You must've had quite a day yesterday." Brandon said.

"Trust me, you don't know the half of it." Ashley told him.

"Anyway, what are you doing out here by yourself?" Brandon asked.

"For your information, I was just on my way to visit a friend." Ashley said. "At least, that's what I was hoping."

"I thought we could go take a walk or something." Brandon said. He ran his hand through his hair.

"Maybe another time." Ashley told him. She ran off into a small cave on the side of the beach. "Brandon is so annoying. Can't he leave me alone for five minutes?" She noticed there was a small lake in the middle of the cave. She took her shoes off and walked into the shallow end. Nothing happened.

"Was it really all a dream?" Ashley wondered. She headed in until she was waist deep. "I guess it was a dream." She walked out and returned to the beach. Thankfully, Brandon was nowhere in sight. She sat on the beach, watching the tide. She almost fell asleep when…

"Ashley? You okay?" Brandon returned.

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine." Ashley said.

"You don't look so good." Brandon said.

"I'll be okay, Brandon." Ashley told him. "It's not like you constantly need to protect me."

"I know, I was just concerned." Brandon said. "If you need me, I'll be at the beach house." Ashley turned back to the ocean, feeling bad about hurting his feelings.

"He's just too overprotective, don't let it get to you." Ashley told herself. She headed into the water and tried to relax. She decided to go under the surface for a light swim, when it happened. Ashley felt a slight pain as she felt her body changing. When the pain was gone, she had turned into a mermaid again.

"It wasn't a dream!" Ashley realized. She swam a little lower into the sea. "If I could come out here all the time, I would." She sighed, remembering everything she would have to deal with when she returned to the surface.

She swam over to a small rock to rest on. "Ashley?" She heard a voice call. She turned around.

"Ariel! Thank goodness it's you." Ashley hugged her.

"What are you doing down here? I thought you'd be spending time with your friends." Ariel said.

"Well, things aren't really going so great back home right now." Ashley said. "My friend keeps telling me not to come into the water. But he just doesn't know things. I'm afraid if he knew about…well, this…" She indicated to her mermaid form, "…he'd freak out."

"Yeah, I know it's tough. I'm the youngest of my sisters and everyone is overprotective of me." Ariel explained. She swam next to her. "They say I'm a lot like my mother, but at least she was allowed to swim freely."

"What do you mean? It seems like you mermaids swim around on your own most of the time." Ashley pointed out.

"When you're the youngest of seven and the King's daughter…"

"You're a princess?" Ashley asked.

"Sort of. Sometimes I wish I wasn't." Ariel admitted. "Anyway, every time I am allowed to swim off without telling them, my father always sends Sebastian with me or has him follow me."

"I get it." Ashley said. "It's like he's trying to keep you safe, but you're really annoyed with it."

"Exactly." Ariel said. "Though, there have been some incidents I'd rather not talk about."

"No problem. It's just between us." Ashley pointed out.

"Besides, it's not like I can really stay mad at Sebastian. He's just doing what he's been told and he is an old friend of mine." Ariel said.

"Is there anywhere you can relax that nobody knows about?" Ashley asked.

"Well, there is one, but I have to be careful to make sure no one finds out." Ariel said. "Follow me, but don't tell anyone."

"There's no one I can tell. The only friends I have here are you and Flounder." Ashley pointed out. She followed her to a beautiful-looking place. "Wow. What is this place?"

"It's kind of like my secret hideout." Ariel told her. "I collect human items from sunken ships and keep them in here."

"It's really beautiful." Ashley said.

"You can stay down here when you come to visit." Ariel said. "No one except for Flounder knows about it."

"Thank you. My friend's probably worried about me though." Ashley said.

"When can we meet again?" Ariel asked.

"I'll come by either tomorrow or the day after." Ashley told her. She noticed a strange opening higher up.

"See you then, Ashley." Ariel said. She watched as she swam up.

"Come on." Ashley finally pushed herself up through the water. She found herself in the small cave. She swam over to the rock ledge and pushed herself out of the water, returning to normal as she did. "This is still weird, but at least now I know how it works."

On the beach, Brandon was watching the sun go down. He heard something and turned. "Ashley?"

"Hey, Brandon." Ashley said. "Sorry I overreacted. I just can't stand it when others are planning my life for me."

"It's cool. I understand. I've just always been overprotective. My mom says I get it from my dad." Brandon told her. "And I have a feeling we'll find your mom soon."

"Well, my dad won't be much help. He said she left due to a family commitment. Though I think I might know where she could be." Ashley said. She looked out to the ocean. They both watched the sun set behind the waves.


	5. Singing and Surprises

The following afternoon, Ashley walked out to the beach. She carried her bucket with her, but it was kind of heavy. "Need a hand?" She turned. Brandon was right beside her.

"Yeah, this thing's pretty heavy." Ashley told him.

"What do you have in here? Rocks?" Brandon asked.

"You know I still collect seashells." Ashley pointed out. "Guess I lost count of how many were in my collection."

"Find any pearls?" Brandon asked.

"Only a few." Ashley said.

"Where were you headed, anyway?" Brandon asked.

"I wanted to put them someplace where I knew they'd be safe." Ashley explained. "Can you help me get this thing into that cave? It's really heavy."

"Sure thing." Brandon helped her carry it the rest of the way.

"Thanks." Ashley said. "You're a great friend."

"I guess." Brandon said. He turned away.

"You okay?"

"You just seem more distant than usual. That's all." Brandon said.

"I'll be okay. I know what I have going on." Ashley said. "Actually, could you let my dad know I'm running late tonight? He thinks I'm still working at the lifeguard stand."

"No problem." Brandon said. "I can cover for you."

"Thanks." Ashley said. As soon as Brandon left, she took out a seashell necklace laced with pearls. "I really hope this tunnel works both ways." She jumped into the water and swam through the tunnel. By now she was used to the slight pain that occurred whenever she transformed. She followed the tunnel and found herself in Ariel's Grotto. Ariel wasn't there.

"Guess she must've gone out for a while." Ashley sat down on a rock that was nearby.

"What are you doing down here?" Ashley turned around. Flounder had come in.

"It's okay." Ashley told him. "Ariel showed me how to get here."

"Guess it makes sense she trusts you, considering your secret." Flounder said.

"Well, sometimes it just gets boring on the surface." Ashley said. "I have a really great friend up there, but I just feel more connected down here."

"I have the opposite problem." They both turned around.

"Ariel, I was wondering when you'd come by." Ashley said.

"Well, down here, we don't always keep track of time." Ariel explained.

"I wanted to show you this." Ashley said. "I brought some of the seashells I've collected."

"They're really beautiful." Ariel told her.

"I've always been fascinated by water, always wondering what's out there." Ashley told her. "I think it has to do with my mom. I've been thinking about her a lot lately. I wonder now...if she was a mermaid."

"It would explain why you became one when you came down here the first time." Ariel said. "But for as long as I know, contact between mermaids and humans is forbidden."

"I wonder if it has to do with that prophecy." Ashley said. "It said something about uniting the two worlds."

"We'll figure this out together." Ariel said.

"Ariel, don't you have rehearsal?" Flounder reminded her.

"That's right." Ariel said. "Why don't you come with us?"

"I guess it couldn't hurt." Ashley said. They swam to a wide open area. There were several other mermaids around.

"Ariel, there you are!" One of them swam over. "Where have you been?"

"Helping a new girl find her way around." Ariel said, indicating Ashley.

"She must be from a different ocean." One of them said.

"I am." Ashley said, deciding to go with it.

"Ashley, these are my older sisters." Ariel explained.

"Wow, you have a lot of them." Ashley said.

"Ariel, nice to see that you made it for once." Sebastian said.

"You know I always mean to come, I just get tied up often." Ariel pointed out. "But I'm ready this time."

"Glad to hear it." Sebastian told her. "Why don't you let your new friend help out?"

"Sure, I don't mind." Ashley told him. Sebastian cued the band to start playing. The girls began to sing. When it was time for Ariel's solo, Ashley was impressed by how powerful her voice was. The others turned to her.

"I'm sorry, can we stop?" Ariel asked. The band stopped playing.

"I had no idea you could sing like that." Ashley said.

"Most mermaids can." Ariel said. "Why don't you try it?"

"I would, only I can't sing very well." Ashley told her.

"I'm sure you'll be fine." Ariel told her. "Just try one note." Ashley sang a note, but it was barely audible.

"Ashley, what's wrong with you, child?" Sebastian asked.

"Sebastian, I can't sing." Ashley said. "I tried before, when I was little, but it didn't work out."

"It'll come to you, Ashley." Ariel said. "You just need to feel it." Ashley looked really uncomfortable. "Try again." Ashley closed her eyes and tried singing a note. "See, you're getting better."

"I was surprised I was even able to do that." Ashley said.

"You can do it if you just believe in yourself." Ariel told her.

A while later, the girls swam off with Flounder and Sebastion following. "I'll practice when I have extra free time." Ashley said. "I've been a little busy lately."

"Yeah, me too." Ariel said. "As big as the ocean is, that doesn't mean we don't have things to take care of."

"Ariel?" The group heard a voice.

"It's my father." Ariel said. She lowered her voice. "Try to keep your cover. He can be a little intimidating."

"You're Majesty, what brings you out here?" Sebastion asked.

"I stopped by rehearsal to see how everything was coming along." The King explained.

"Hi, Daddy." Ariel said.

"Ariel, I've noticed you missed a couple notes."

"Sorry, it's hard always keep up with the music." Ariel said.

"Well, who's this?" Ashley froze. She couldn't find the words to say.

"You're going to have to excuse her. She's a little shy." Ariel said.

"It's an honor to meet you, sir." Ashley said.

"It's nice meeting you, Miss…."

"Ashley." Ariel said. "She's new around these parts."

"Ariel's been teaching me how to sing." Ashley told him.

"I see. You were at reahersal today, weren't you?"

"Yes." Ashley said. She heard a sound above her. She looked up and saw the sunlight was beginning to fade. She turned to Ariel and Flounder. "Ariel asked me to help out."

"You seem like a decent friend to her."

"Oh, Daddy, please. Don't embarrass me in front of her." Ariel said.

"I can't help but be proud for my daughter." King Triton pointed out. Ariel glanced at Flounder.

"This way." He whispered to Ashley.

"I should be going, now. I have something to do." Ashley told the others.

"Bye, Ashley." Ariel said. "See you." Ashley and Flounder swam off.

"Flounder, we're not going to make it. They're still watching us and the tunnel's too far away." Ashley realized.

"There's a shortcut that leads to a small open area." Flounder said. "It's right up here." Ashley saw a small hole and swam up. She found herself on top of a rock.

"That was way too close." Ashley said, sitting down. She turned back to normal and walked out, since the water was shallow enough. She collapsed on her bed and fell asleep within minutes.


	6. First Meeting

A few weeks after the music practice, Ashley decided to spend the day at home. "Ashley, you're still here?" Her father asked.

"It's my day off." Ashley pointed out. "Besides, it's been a while since I've actually had a break around here." It was a lot colder than it had been the past few days. Ashley was sitting on the font porch when Brandon showed up.

"Hey, Ashley." Brandon said.

"I'm glad you came." Ashley said. "It was starting to get boring, sitting around here."

"I'm surprised you haven't told me to get lost or disappear on me yet." Brandon said.

"Yeah, I guess I just feel bad that I've been ditching you lately." Ashley said. "It's just, I finally met someone who understands the frustration that I go through. Sometimes, it isn't enough to just forget your problems, you know?"

"I do know." Brandon said. "I've been searching for leads and I've got nothing."

"I think I have a slight clue, but it's not enough to go on." Ashley told him.

"Want to come to the tide pool? There's something I wanted to show you."

"Sure." Ashley said.

There was a small group of tide pools to one area of the beach. "Wow. It's like a mini-aquarium." Ashley said.

"It's cool, right?" Brandon asked.

"It's amazing." Ashley said. "I never expected it would be like this."

"Well, life always has a way of surprising you." Brandon pointed out. "Sometimes I come here to think about things." Ashley looked at him. She was about to speak, but was interrupted by a bird call.

"Oh, look!" Ashley pointed to a sea-gull that was sitting on a rock a few feet from them.

"I've never seen a seagull up close before." Brandon said. "It's not often that they come by these tide pools, though."

They reached Ashley's house while the sun was beginning to set. "Thanks for showing me the tide pool today. It was really awesome." Ashley told him.

"Anytime. Besides, you showed me you're secret area. I thought I'd share mine with you." Brandon explained.

"I promise, I'll try to spend more time with you." Ashley said. "But, just go easy. I still need a little space."

"No problem." Brandon said. He walked off. A seagull perched itself on the rail of the porch.

"Oh, it's you again."

"I've never seen a being like you before."

Ashley's eyes widened. "You can talk!" She glanced around to make sure no one was watching. "Sorry if I seem like I'm out of it, but I'm still kinda new to the sea communication thing."

"Well, you're the first human and mermaid that I've ever met." The seagull replied. "The only other mermaid I've seen is the youngest of the royal family."

"You're one of Ariel's friends." Ashley said. She recalled Ariel telling her about getting knowledge from a seagull. "Scuttle, right?"

"Yes, that's me." The seagull said. "Ariel had mentioned something about you."

"I'm Ashley. It's really nice meeting you. It doesn't seem like you really watch humans that closely, though."

"Well, we can't all be perfect." Scuttle pointed out.

"That's true."

"Truthfully, you are the first human I've actually seen up close." Scuttle told her. "I usually keep a distance."

"It seems a lot of you do." Ashley said. She heard footsteps. "My dad's coming. He doesn't know about me and I have know idea what he'll think if he sees me talking to a seagull."

"I'll try to meet you more secretly next time." Scuttle told her. "There's also a secret area that Ariel uses that she could show you."

"Okay. But for now, you really need to fly off." Ashley said. She watched as he flew off and headed into the sky. Her dad came out behind her a second later.

"Who were you talking to out here?" Her father asked.

"Nobody. I was just saying bye to Brandon." Ashley told him.

"Well, you should come in. It's supposed to be a little cold tonight."

"Okay." Ashley said. She took one last glance at the sky, to find it completely clear. She stepped back into the house, wondering about what it was like to live in the sea.


	7. Magic

After her meeting with Scuttle, Ashley glanced out the window and looked out toward the sea. "Maybe I'll let them know soon." She thought to herself.

When she got up the next day, she felt…different. Maybe a little stronger. She headed downstairs and brought her bag with her. As she headed outside, she could tell something was different about herself.

"Ashley? It's a little early, isn't it?" She looked up to see Brandon outside.

"Oh, it's just you." Ashley said. "I thought you were someone else for a moment."

"Hey, it's no big deal." Brandon told her. "Where were you headed, anyway?"

"I…don't remember." Ashley said. "I had a dream last night. It was almost as if something was calling me."

"You want to talk about it?" Brandon asked. She sat down on the steps and he sat beside her. "Can you remember anything from your dream?"

"I remember a crystal, a voice, some kind of figure." Ashley told him. "That's all I remember."

"What was this strange shape you saw?" Brandon asked.

"It was blacked out, shadowed." Ashley said. "I think it was a mermaid, but I couldn't tell."

"Interesting." Brandon said. Ashley got up to go and nearly tripped. Brandon caught her. "You alright?"

"I have a headache." Ashley told him.

"You should spend the rest of the day inside, resting." Brandon told her.

"Okay." Ashley said. "I'll try to take it easy." A few hours later, she woke up feeling a little better. She heard a sound outside her window. She drew back the curtain to see Scuttle on the rail.

"Hi." Ashley said.

"Oh, it's you again." Scuttle said. "Are you okay? You don't look so good."

"I've been feeling a little sick." Ashley told him. All of a sudden, she sneezed. Scuttle flew back a few feet. "Sorry."

"Guess you can't help it when you don't feel well." Scuttle pointed out.

"I've never felt this bad in my entire life." Ashley said.

"Perhaps you need to get out to sea again." Scuttle suggested.

A few hours later, she went into the beach cave and slowly lowered herself into the water. Once her lower body was in she allowed herself to fall into the water. It wasn't long before she was a mermaid again and swam into Ariel's Grotto. She sat down on a rock.

"It's been so long since I've seen you." She turned around.

"Ariel! I'm so glad to be back." Ashley told her.

"I am so glad to see you." Ariel said. "By the way, I found this." She held up a small pendant with an aquamarine stone in it. "I thought you should have it. It reminded me of you."

"Really?" Ashley asked. She looked at it. Suddenly, she put a hand to her forehead.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think I just remembered something." Ashley said. "About my mom."

"Here, if this could be the key to unlocking your memories of her…" Ariel placed it around Ashley's neck.

"Thank you." Ashley said. "Anything happen while I was gone?"

"Just some music practice." Ariel said. "And I explored a few sunken ships."

"Isn't that dangerous, Ariel?" Ashley asked. She liked her friend and all, but was concerned about her safety.

"Most of the human items in here are found from those ships." Ariel explained. "Besides, I'm not just that little girl everyone needs to protect."

"I know." Ashley told her. "I wish I had the freedom to stay here, but I know my family would panic."

"Same here." Ariel said.

"I wish I could help you get to the true surface, Ariel." Ashley said. "So you could see how beautiful it is."

"I know, but…" Ariel looked at her in surprise. "Ashley, your tail…" Ashley looked down. Her tail was glowing and her body was in a lot of pain.

"Oh, no. This never happened before." Ashley said. "I won't be a mermaid much longer if this keeps up."

"Calm down." Ariel told her. "When we met, you said something about magic affecting you. The reason your being able to switch forms like that."

"Is there somewhere near the surface where no one will see us?" Ashley asked.

"This way." Ariel grabbed her wrist and helped her swim toward the rocky area by the surface. They both pulled up.

"You two okay?" Scuttle asked.

"I was losing control of my transformation." Ashley told him.

"Ashley, it's normal again." Ariel told her. She looked down. Her tail was still there.

"I wonder…" Ashley jumped back into the sea and swam toward the Grotto. She pulled out three pearls.

"What is it?" Ariel asked.

"I need to try something." Ashley told her. She held her hand toward the pearls and concentrated. They began to levitate and circle around her wrist.

"No way." Ariel said. "How are you doing that?"

"I don't know." Ashley told her. "But I think it's magic." She formed the pearls into a small bracelet. They landed around Ariel's wrist.

"That's amazing, Ashley." Ariel told her.

"Guess it's a gift." Ashley said.

"I hope you're not related to the Sea Witch." Ariel told her. "She's terrible."

"I've heard about her. She uses dark magic to complete her spells." Ashley said. "If it's one thing I know, it's that not all witches use dark magic."

"How do you know so much about this?" Ariel asked.

"When I was eight I went through a Wiccan phase." Ashley told her. "It lasted a couple years before I switched to writing."

"Wiccan?" Ariel repeated.

"They were healers who used natural remedies to heal the sick." Ashley explained. "I think that's how the whole witch thing got started anyway."

"Whoa, that's cool." Ariel said.

"I promise, I'll try to return as soon as I can." Ashley told her. She noticed the sun starting to set.

"Thanks for coming by, Ashley." Ariel said.

"Anytime." She swam up to the surface.

Ariel swam out of her grotto and was headed home herself. "Ariel, where've you been? I haven't seen you all day." Sebastion told her.

"Sorry. I've been a little busy." Ariel told him.

Ashley went back to her room. She decided to see if it was true. She went over to her desk and placed her hand over a feather. Surely enough, it started to levitate. "I really do know magic." Ashley realized. She fell back on her bed, tired from the day's events.


	8. Goodbye

On the beach, Ashley looked around. It was pretty early, but she walked toward the water. "I can't ignore this anymore." Ashley told herself.

"What are you doing here?" Brandon asked.

"I could ask you the same thing!" Ashley said, jumping back in surprise.

"You were about to go into the water, weren't you?" Brandon said.

"So what if I was?" Ashley asked.

"Ashley, forget it. You nearly drowned last time." Brandon said. "I can't let you go in there." She started to walk away when he grabbed her and put his arms around her waist.

"Brandon, let go of me!" Ashley screamed.

"I'm not going to risk losing you!" Brandon told her. "You can't do this, you could trip again. You might not be so lucky this time."

"I don't care!" Ashley said. "You have no idea how I feel down there! You can't tell me what to do, Brandon! It's my life and I've been going into the water for the past several weeks behind your back."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I knew you'd react like this." Ashley told him, pushing him off. "You can't control my life, Brandon. Every decision I make is my own. Which is why I've decided…we're no longer friends. Enjoy your life, Brandon!" She stormed off into the low tide area. She turned around and jumped into the sea. Brandon just watched as she disappeared into the water.

"Ashley…" Brandon called after her. He walked away from the area.

Ashley swam toward the deepest part of the ocean. She wanted to get as far away from the surface as possible. "Trying to control my life…I'll be happy if I never see him again!"

"Is something wrong?" She turned around to see Flounder by her side.

"Just…boy problems." Ashley said. "Anyway, it's been a while since I've seen you around."

"Yeah, it's really early. Most of the merfolk are still asleep." Flounder explained.

"I'm still trying to get used to how things work around here." Ashley told him. "So, what are you doing out here?"

"Ariel asked me to keep an eye out, in case you came back." Flounder explained. "And I had nothing better to do than swim around here. Well, I could visit the seagull, but it's not the same without her."

"Yeah, I've seen Scuttle a few times. He doesn't really know much about people." Ashley said.

"Well, some of the stuff he explains does seem kinda off." Flounder admitted.

"I allowed him to watch over me for a few days. Of course, that was before Brandon showed up and tried to tell me not to come in here again." Ashley said. She nearly punched a coral wall with her fist.

"Why would he say that?"

"Before I found out I was half-mermaid, I fell into the water and almost drowned. He saved me, but he thinks it's too dangerous for me to go anywhere near the sea." Ashley explained.

"You and Ariel have a lot in common." Flounder told her. "Her father distrusts the human world, but every now and then, she has to visit the surface."

"Maybe we could change that." Ashley said. "I mean, the humans are unaware of mermaids where I come from. They only exist in stories."

"Ariel has practice soon, we can meet her there."

"Yeah, I just need to find something first." Ashley said. She swam into Ariel's Grotto and checked some of the shells she brought with her. She took out a single white pearl and placed it inside her pendant.

She swam for a little while, only to find herself lost. She looked around, but saw no sign of anyone. "Going somewhere?" She turned around in surprise. King Triton was behind her.

"Your Majesty." She bowed to him in respect. "I was actually looking for the rehersal stage, but I kind of got lost."

"The ocean is very big, everyone gets lost sometimes." He told her. "I was heading to watch the rehersal as well."

"I'm so glad that I swam into you." Ashley said.

"Come on, we should be going if we don't want to be late." She followed the King to the rehersal area. The princesses were singing. Ashley noticed Sebastian giving instructions.

"Wait, wait. Attea, project your voice, child. We can barely hear you. Adrina, you have to lower your voice a bit. We can't have you drowning out the others voices."

Ashley spotted Flounder and swam over to him. "Where were you?"

"I got lost on my way here." Ashley explained. She looked at the princesses. She spotted Ariel in no time and waved to her. Ariel smiled back, then turned her attention to Sebastian.

"Okay, let's try this again, shall we?" The princesses started singing. When Ariel's solo came up, she sang strongly and passionately. Ashley was so busy paying attention to them, that she didn't notice the crystal in her pendant glowing. As soon as the song ended, the glow disappeared.

"That was perfect. Great work today, all of you." Sebastian said. "Ariel, it was nice seeing you at practice today."

"Hey, I've been coming on time whenever I can. I practice just as hard as my sisters." Ariel pointed out.

"Let's hope that you show up more often, then." Sebastian said. Ariel swam off toward Ashley.

"That was amazing, Ariel." Ashley said.

"Thanks. I'm glad you're here." Ariel told her. "We've been practicing it for a while now."

"I can tell. You sounded great." Ashley said. "Especially in that solo."

"I see you're here." She noticed Sebastian behind Ariel.

"Hi, Sebastian."

"Where did you go, Ashley? It's like you disappeared into thin air something." Sebastian said, jokingly.

"Something like that." Ashley said, hoping he wouldn't catch on.

"Where did you find that necklace?"

"Actually, Ariel found it." Ashley explained.

"There is something familiar, but I cannot seem to remember." Sebastian told her.

"Sometimes, the answer just comes with time." Ariel said.

"Anyway, can we talk later?" Ashley asked. "I need to pick up some things I'll be needing. I could be here a while."


	9. Mermaid Glamour

Ashley swam into the grotto, carrying a small shell with her. "That's it."

"Are you sure you want to do this? What if you end up staying one permanently?" Ariel asked.

"Then I'll never have to see him again." Ashley said. "I'll finally be free of him." She had explained the whole story to Ariel after practice ended.

"I don't know about this, what if Daddy finds out?" Ariel told her. "That you're…"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Ashley said. "Besides, I thought you'd understand. Considering you feel trapped down here all the time."

"True, but it's not as easy for me. You can come here as much as you want, but I have to watch my back whenever I visit the surface. Even then, I can't go often." Ariel explained.

"Are you sure you want to stay here?" Flounder asked.

"Yeah. I need a break from my life." Ashley said. "And I feel more comfortable in the sea than on land."

"I'll be back tomorrow." Ariel told her. "I should get home now." She swam off. Ashley watched as they left.

"Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself in here?" Flounder asked.

"I'm sure of it. Ariel said only you two knew about it, right?" Ashley asked. "I'll be fine." It wasn't long before she fell asleep.

The next day, she woke up feeling a little light-headed and nearly collapsed. She managed to sit down on a rock. "I'm going to have to get used to sleeping down here. I guess I'm not used to it yet."

"Ashley?" Flounder swam in.

"Hi, Flounder."

"You don't look so good."

"Just trying to adjust to being a mermaid." Ashley told him. "So, the concert's today, right?"

"Yeah. I just hope we don't get sidetracked again." Flounder said. "We usually have a lot of free time, but Sebastian's really strict about this."

"Why's he so uptight?" Ashley asked.

"Well, he is the King's advisor. But he's also close with the rest of the family, so…"

"Okay, I get it." Ashley said. She swam out of the grotto and toward the palace. It wasn't too far. Ariel was already outside.

"Hi, Ashley."

"Hey, you ready for today?" Ashley asked.

"I guess." Ariel said. "We have a little free time."

"I'm going to head over to the concert hall." Ashley told her. "I'll see you later." She swam off. Ariel and Flounder went in another direction.

"Ashley, what're you doing here?" Sebastian asked. Ashley turned in surprise.

"I came to watch, if that's okay."

"Of course it's okay. Mermaids come from all over to see these kinds of events." Sebastian pointed out.

"Wow." Ashley looked up. The stands were full of mermaids, and they were all different. She noticed Ariel's father was present as well. Now she really hoped that she would show up on time.

"Ready, everyone?" Ashley looked and saw Ariel's sisters getting ready. There was still no sign of Ariel. Ashley swam out into the courtyard. She looked for her, but there was no sign of her.

"Great. What am I supposed to tell them?" She wondered. "They can't know she's missing, but she's the only one who knows the song." She threw her hands up in frustration. "If only I knew. Maybe I could help the situation." A light burst over her for a second.

Sebastian appeared in the hallway. "Ariel, there you are!" Ashley turned and looked at him.

"What? I'm not…" She looked down. Her tail was green instead of blue. She picked up a strand of hair. Instead of its usual dark shade, it was red. "Oh, you have to be kidding me." She said to herself. "I just made myself look like her."

"What are you doing out here? The concert's about to start."

"I don't know if I can do this." Ashley was surprised when she spoke. She also sounded like Ariel.

"You are the strongest singer of your sisters. Don't let stage fright stop you." Sebastian said.

"Okay, I'll try this." Ashley said. She couldn't do anything else except Sebastian lead her back inside.


	10. Returning to Land

Ashley reluctantly took her place with the other princesses. She was really nervous about everything and wondered where the heck Ariel was. The music started and the group started singing. When the others stopped, they turned to Ashley.

She was confused at first, then remembered Ariel had a solo. The words started coming to her and she sang as best as she could. When the performance was over, she noticed her tail slowly fading to its normal blue color. She quickly swam off before anyone could stop her. Once she was in the hallway, she returned to her regular mermaid form.

"Okay, so I can only take on other appearences for a few minutes." Ashley said. "Though that was a little inconvenient."

"Ashley, have you seen Ariel swim by?" She gasped as Sebastian came over to her. She hoped he hadn't seen her transform. "She left kind of quickly."

"Sorry, I haven't seen her since this morning." Ashley told him.

"I wonder where that girl coulda went. She did seem kind of nervous today."

"I know." Ashley said. "I was trying to help her, but she was more nervous than I thought."

"Well, keep an eye out for her, okay?" Sebastian asked. He went back into the concert hall.

Ashley swam off into the ocean. She wasn't very close to the surface, when she noticed a figure half-way out of the water. She swam up to her. "Ariel, where were you?"

"Did something happen?" Ariel asked. Then she remembered. "The concert!"

"I managed to disguise myself and took your place, but I don't know if it went well." Ashley said. "We should get back to there, quick." They went back into the water and swam off. Before leaving, Ashley went back to see Scuttle.

"So, how's Brandon doing since I left?" She asked. "Not that I care, but he was my friend."

"Maybe you should ask him yourself." Scuttle said. "It wouldn't hurt to just visit the surface, would it?"

"You're right, Scuttle." Ashley said. "Thanks." She jumped back into the water. By the time she caught up with Ariel, she was speaking with her father and Sebastian.

"Uh, excuse me?" She swam over to the group. "Is something wrong?"

"The concert didn't exactly go well."

"They wanted to know why I swam off in such a hurry." Ariel told her, looking confused.

"You were at the concert hall before all this happened. Did you see her before you swam by?" Trition asked.

"I did, this morning. She seemed to be a little nervous about the concert." Ashley said. "I found her after the concert. She was talking with Scut…" She covered her mouth. She hadn't meant to say that last part. Now she really was in trouble.

"Did you go to the surface?"

"I know it's dangerous and risky, but I can take care of myself." Ariel protested.

"Please, don't take this out on Ariel. In the ocean I come from, things are different." Ashley said.

"Different how?"

"Well, where I come from, mermaids and humans interact in peace." Ashley explained. "It's a long story that goes back many years."

"Okay, I think we've got it from here." Ariel said.

"Well, as much as we respect your beliefs, it'd be nice if you'd respect ours." Triton said to her.

"Okay, Your Majesty." Ashley swam off until she couldn't see them anymore. "Darn it. That was stupid." She swam up to the surface and returned to normal. It was starting to rain. She quickly ran toward her place, but knew she wouldn't make it out of the downpour.

"Ashley, this way!" Brandon grabbed her hand and ran toward the cave. She struggled to keep up with him.

"Thanks." Ashley said. They sat down near the opening. She knew they'd have to wait out the storm. Brandon looked at her, then turned away. She was watching the rain fall. She knew she'd have to go back soon.

"Ashley." Brandon snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned to face him.

"Yeah?"

"Look, I'm sorry about the other day." Brandon told her. "It wasn't my business."

"I told you to stop worrying about me." Ashley said.

"When you didn't come back up, I thought you were gone, Ashley." Brandon said.

"Well, you should've backed off." Ashley told him. Thunder crashed above them. "Anyway, I might be gone for a few days."

"You're leaving?" Brandon asked. He sounded surprised and confused.

"Kinda. I just need to sort things out on my own." Ashley explained.

"I understand." Brandon said. She turned around. He looked a little sad.

"Brandon, I…" Ashley couldn't finish. She had no idea what to tell him. He stood up.

"Look, it's your life, Ashley. I'm not going to slow you down."

"That's not what I meant. I still want to be able to see my best friend." Ashley explained. She got up. "Cause as annoying as it is, I need you in my life." She put her arms around him.

"Ashley." He looked at her. Without thinking, he pressed his lips against hers. Ashley closed her eyes. After a second, they broke apart. They both stared at each other, surprised by what they just did.

The rain stopped and the sky was beginning to clear up. "Hey, the storm's over." Ashley said, looking outside.

"Okay." Brandon said. "I guess…I'll see you around." He started to walk off. "You want me to walk you home?"

"No thanks." Ashley said. "It's only a couple of feet from here." He walked away from her. Ashley sat down in the cave, trying to figure out what just happened. After a few seconds, she left the cave, knowing she'd be returning tomorrow.


	11. Ariel's Encounter

The morning after the storm, Ashley entered the cave. "I'll be back to visit soon." She figured. She turned around and saw something swimming to the surface of the water. She stepped back as her red-headed mermaid friend surfaced.

"Ashley?"

"Ariel, you scared me!" Ashley said.

"Sorry about that." Ariel said. "So, this is what you really look like."

"Only when I'm not underwater." Ashley pointed out.

"Yeah, but that's still amazing." Ariel said. "The most amazing thing happened last night."

"Can we continue this underwater? You're father would probably get mad if he finds out you came up here again." Ashley pointed out.

"I know." Ariel said. "Come on." Ariel headed under the surface. Ashley jumped into the water after her, changing as she caught up. Ariel told her about how she saved a human boy from drowning.

"Wow, you're really brave." Ashley said. "I was stuck hiding in the cave with Brandon until the rain stopped."

"Did you guys make-up?" Ariel asked.

"Kind of." Ashley said. She almost blushed, remembering how he'd held her close. "Anyway, why did you risk being exposed?"

"Well, I just couldn't let him drown." Ariel told her. "He doesn't seem bad. Besides, I was really careful. I left before he woke up, before the humans could find me."

"That's good to know." Ashley said.

"I wish I could see him again." Ariel said. "If I could go up and visit him, I would."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Ashley said. "I'm still kinda new with the magic thing though. Even if I could give you the appearance of a normal person, it would fade in a few minutes."

"I know." Ariel said. "And there's still that mystery of your mother."

"Right now, I think this is more important." Ashley said. "I'm sure you'll see him again."

"I really hope so." Ariel told her. "I just can't stop thinking about him. Of how different it would've been if I were human."

"I know that feeling." Ashley said. "You're in love with him, aren't you?"

"I guess I am." Ariel said, blushing.

"Hey, it's okay. No one knows except for me and your friends." Ashley said.

"That's why I'm worried." Ariel said. "Sebastian was with me when I last surfaced."

"Oh, that could be a problem." Ashley said. "What if he slips and tells?"

"I don't know, that's why I'm worried." Ariel said.

"Hey, Ariel." Flounder swam over to them.

"Oh, hi, Flounder." Ariel said. "I was just telling Ashley about what happened."

"It sounds like you had quite a night yesterday." Ashley said.

"You don't know the half of it." Flounder told her.

"It's bad enough we've got Sebastian watching over us, though." Ariel said. "I mean, what if he finds out about you?"

"I doubt it. I've been super-careful with this just as you've been about the human world." Ashley pointed out. "He'll never know."

"Anyway, I'm going down to the courtyard. Why don't you come with us?" Ariel asked.

"I'll be right there." Ashley told them. She carefully looked at her pendant and hid it along with the shells and pearls inside a hollow crack in the Grotto. "I have a strange feeling I'll be needing these." She carefully pulled out a couple of shells and hid five pearls in each of them. Then she hid another set of pearls in a small shell purse that Ariel got her weeks before the concert.

Finally, she swam out of the Grotto. She made her way over to the courtyard. A few feet away, she saw Ariel playing with a flower. She swam over to her. "I had no idea flowers could grow down here."

"You wouldn't believe some of the plant live down here." Ariel said. She placed the flower behind her ear.

"That's a good look on you."

"I wish he could see it." Ariel told her.

"Maybe someday he will." Ashley said. "I'm sure of it."

"So, about you and Brandon…" Ariel began.

"What about it?"

"I think you like him." Ariel said. "That's all."

"Well, he's just been there for me for a long time." Ashley said. "But, he gets too overprotective. It's weird. Normally I think of him as a brother, but now…" She sighed. "It's so confusing."

"Maybe you should try following your heart." Ariel said. "It tends to work out in the end."

"That's good advice." Ashley said. "Now it's my turn, you should really be careful. I can't shake this bad feeling I've been getting. And that's only the beginning."

"Don't worry, I'll try to keep an eye out for anything suspicious." Ariel told her. "I'll even ask the others to look out as well. Nothing bad can happen if we work together."

"I know." Ashley said. "That's exactly why I'm worried. Now that I think about it, where's Flounder?"

"He was here with me a while ago, but he swam off somewhere." Ariel explained. "I think he'd be back soon, but…"

"I'll see if I can find him." Ashley told her. "I'll be back as fast as I can." She swam out of the courtyard and began looking for him.


	12. Deeper Than Before

Ashley had been swimming for what seemed like a while. "There you are. Ariel's been looking for you."

"I was planning a surprise for her." Flounder explained.

"She's still in the courtyard." Ashley told him. They swam back to the courtyard.

"You sure it's this way?" Flounder asked.

"Honestly, I think I still need practice navigating in these waters." Ashley said. "Lead the way. I don't feel like getting lost again."

In no time, they found themselves back in the courtyard. Ariel was playing with a flower. Sebastian swam over to her "Ariel, would you get your head out of the clouds and back in the sea where it belongs?" Sebastian said to her. She didn't appear to be paying attention, though.

"I'm guessing you know about what happened the other night." Flounder said.

"It's just between us." Ashley told him. "Unless that crab tells someone."

"I know, that's what I'm worried about." Flounder told her. "Ariel's normally kind, but I don't know if she'd forgive him if he told anyone."

"Down HERE is your home!" Ashley jerked her head up and saw Sebastian talking to Ariel.

"Hold on!" Ashley swam over to her. "Sure, down here might be where she is, but it's not really home unless it feels that way."

"Ashley, it's fine…" Ariel said. "I was just trying to figure out how to meet with him."

"She knows…" Sebastian began.

"She's from a kingdom where the two worlds were united." Ariel told him, keeping her cover.

"Guess I'm just a little homesick." Ashley said. She swam in the opposite direction. "I'll see you." She started heading up and sat on top of a rock at the surface.

"So, how's it going down there?" Scuttle asked.

"That could've gone a lot better." Ashley said. "Maybe I should be trying to help Ariel instead of spending time down here."

"You're doing what you think is right." Scuttle said. "I always help her when she needs it."

"I have a feeling she's really going to be needing your help." Ashley told him. "I might not come back up for a while. I'll be seeing you around." She jumped back into the water. She looked around. By the time she had found them, the courtyard was crowded with mermaids and sea creatures. "Uh, guys?" She called.

"Over here!" Flounder swam over to her. It wasn't long before Ariel joined them. "Come on. I know a shortcut out." Ashley looked down and noticed her necklace was missing.

"I'll catch up with you guys." Ashley swam back to where she was and found it on the ground. She picked it up and placed it around her neck.

"Have you seen Ariel? She was here before." Sebastian said.

"Sorry, you just missed her." Ashley told him. "She left a while ago with Flounder."

"If you see her, let me know." Sebastian said. He swam away. Ashley knew what would happen next, so she swam back to the Grotto.

As she entered the room, she noticed a statue of the prince. She realized it must be the same one Ariel had fallen for. "So, this was your surprise?" She asked Flounder. He nodded.

"It's the best thing anyone's ever done for me." Ariel said.

"Maybe one day you'll get to really meet the real one." Ashley told her. Ariel swam over to the statue. Then she froze. Ashley didn't need to turn around to know someone else was here.

"Daddy." Ariel said.

"I heard you saved a human."

"He would've drowned."

"One less to worry about."

"Hold on, I have a question." Ashley said. "What is it about humans that you don't like?"

"They're a danger to the sea and to us." Sebastian spoke up. She hadn't even noticed him enter the room.

"I'm in love with him." Ariel admitted.

"It's impossible. He's a human, you're a mermaid. How could you possibly work it out?" Ashley sighed. The King actually had a point there.

"You don't even know anything about them." Ariel pointed out.

"Ariel, I will get through to you. And if this is the only way…" Triton raised his trident.

"Wait!" Ashley swam in between them. "Don't blame Ariel, this is my fault!"

"Ashley…" Ariel began.

"I brought a few items from my kingdom to show Ariel how they coexisted in peace." Ashley said. "But that was before I knew that the rules were different here."

"No, I've been fascinated with the human world for a long time. Even before meeting you and saving him." Ariel told her.

"I'll be outside if either of you need me." Ashley said. She turned to King Triton. "Sorry about all this. I've just been homesick lately."

"That's understandable. It's a big ocean, you know." Ashley swam out of the Grotto.

"I'm really going to have to clean that room later." Ashley realized. But she couldn't worry about that now.

"I'm sorry it turned out like this." Sebastian told her.

"You're the one who caused this mess." Ashley pointed out. "If you hadn't said anything to him…"

"Look, Ariel seems to trust you. That's why I'll need you to talk to her."

"Believe it or not, humans aren't as bad as the rest of you believe." Ashley told him. "Just think about giving them a chance before doing something stupid."

She swam back to the Grotto and took out something from her hiding place that she thought would help. She had already given Ariel a friendship bracelet that she never took off. Now she knew she had to be careful because she was about to plan something risky. And this time, there was no turning back.


	13. Temporary Replacement

As she swam out she noticed Ariel swimming off with a pair of eels. Ashley held back and didn't follow until there was enough distance between them that she wouldn't see her.

Ashley kept swimming until she found herself outside a cave. She knew of the Sea Witch from what the others had told her. She remained outside, since she didn't want the others to know she was there. She waited until the spell took effect and the others fled toward the surface.

"Soon, I'll be the one in charge." Ashley entered the place. It was a little creepy, but not as bad as she thought it'd be.

"Excuse me?" The Cecilia turned around. Ashley was kind of surprised to see the witch was part octopus. Then again, since she had the ability to willingly switch from human to mermaid, not much surprised her lately.

"Yes, how can I help you, dearie?" She asked. Ashley took a breath. She was kind of intimidating in person.

"It occurred to me that if the young princess is missing, everyone would be looking for her." Ashley explained. "If I could take her place for a little while, try to keep some of them calm."

"So, you're saying you want me to turn her back?"

"I'm saying that I need your help. My magic isn't strong enough." Ashley told her. "I can make myself look like her, but only for a few seconds at a time."

"Interesting." The Sea Witch said.

"I can pay you with these." Ashley turned around and brought out the pearls she carried with her. They formed a necklace around her. "Think of how beautiful they'll make you appear when you rule the kingdom."

"Hm. You've got yourself a deal, kiddo." Ursula told her. "But there is one little snag, how do I know you'll leave afterward?"

"I'll leave just before sunrise on the third day. I always follow through on my promises."

"Very well."

"But I need one more thing before we do this." Ashley said.

"So, we're negotiating now?"

"Give me your word that you will not harm me or Ariel in any way." Ashley told her. "Otherwise, I will not be your ally."

"I give you my word." Ursula told her. "Now, are you ready?" Ashley nodded. They combined their magic and Ashley closed her eyes. When she opened them, she looked down and saw that her tail was green instead of blue. She spun around briefly.

"The spell will last for a couple of days." The Sea Witch told her. "Wow, you really do look just like that little angelfish."

"Thanks." Ashley told her. She swam up out of the lair and swam just under the surface of the water. It was only then that she realized her mistake as she ran into Flounder.

"Ariel? Please tell me you haven't given up already." Flounder said.

"No, it's me." Ashley told him. "It's Ashley."

"Ashley?" Flounder remembered. "Oh, I forgot about your powers."

"It's alright. I'm only taking on her appearance for a couple days." Ashley explained. "Don't let the others know. So, is it true that she's…"

"Yes, she's a human now." Flounder told her. "Only her voice is gone. She traded it to the Sea Witch in order to transform."

"That's awful." Ashley realized. "How do we get her to communicate with him?"

"We're going to have to work fast, cause she only has three days to become one permanently." Flounder told her.

"No wonder she wanted me gone before sunrise on the third day." Ashley said. "There's no time to explain. I'm sorry I won't be of much help to you, but I'll surface when I can."

"Where are you going?"

"To the palace. Ariel's family is probably worried sick." Ashley told him. She swam back to the palace.

In the throne room, the King was upset about Ariel. Perhaps he had been too harsh with her. He never thought she'd swim away from home. Ashley, doing her best to sound like Ariel, swam in. He didn't notice her. "Si…ahem. Daddy?"

"Ariel? Is it really you?" The King swam over to her. Then, he embraced her. "Oh, Ariel. I'm sorry. I never meant for this to happen. I just… you're so much like you're mother. She was also curious about the human world."

"I never really knew her." Ashley told him.

"I know. I just wish there was a way you would forgive me."

"Well, Ashley's story got me curious. Our oceans are different." Ashley continued. She was starting to feel comfortable pretending to be her. "Where she comes from, humans and mermaids get along peacefully."

"How is it possible?" King Triton asked.

"Well, Ashley's been able to see the humans up close. There are actually humans that wish to protect the ocean. She even knows some that are vegetarians." Ashley covered her mouth after that last one.

"Uh, what?"

"Sorry, it's a human term she learned. It means they don't eat fish." Ashley explained.

"I see. So, there is some good in them? But what about this human prince?"

"He never even saw me." Ashley said, echoing Ariel's words. "I swam away before he could. I just hope I can see him again, even if it is just from afar. Goodnight, Daddy."

"Wait, Ariel." King Triton said. "Where's Sebastian? Wasn't he with you?" Ashley froze. She knew she had forgotten something important.

"Well, I'm still kind of angry with him. I told him I didn't want to see him again and I guess he took off." Ashley said. "I'm sorry, I know we're friends, but I just don't want to see him right now."

"I understand." King Triton told her. "He's probably just gone to visit his relatives. I'm sure he'll be back in a few days."

"I'm going to bed." Ashley told him. "It's been a long day." She swam off, back to the Grotto. "Flounder? You're still here?"

"Sebastian and Scuttle are watching over her." Flounder explained. "I can't follow her on land."

"That's right. I forgot, sorry." Ashley said. She swam over to the makeshift bed she usually slept in when she stayed here. "Hey, Flounder?"

"Yes?"

"I'm glad you're still here." Ashley told him. "I don't know if I'd be able to make it down here if you weren't around."

"Thank you." Flounder told her. He watched as she fell asleep, before drifting to sleep himself.


	14. Worlds Apart

The next day, Ashley swam back to the palace. She knew pretending to be Ariel wasn't going to be easy, but she knew she go with it.

"Ariel, there you are." She turned around.

"Hi, Daddy." Ashley said.

"How are you doing today?"

"I feel okay, I guess." Ashley told him. "But I wanted to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"I'm going out to look for Sebastian. I feel responsible for the whole thing." Ashley said. She knew it was just an excuse to get herself out of the palace before the next day, when she'd be herself again.

"I don't know, it might be dangerous."

"I know, but I'm the reason Sebastian left in the first place." Ashley pointed out. It was sort of true. "And the others seem to be concerned, too."

"Very well, then." Triton said. "Since you feel this is your responsibility, you may go out searching for him."

"You should know I may not be back for a while."

"I figured as much. Let me know when you find him."

"I'll do what I can." Ashley told him. And with that, she swam out into the courtyard.

"Ariel!" She heard a voice call. She looked around and noticed Flounder.

"Flounder, there you are. You weren't there when I woke up." Ashley told him.

"I wanted to check on how things were going up there." Flounder explained. "Nothing so far."

"Well, it must be difficult if Ariel can't talk." Ashley pointed out. "I wish I could've taught her sign language."

"What's that?"

"It's when a person can't speak, they can show what their trying to say by using their hands." Ashley said. "It's too bad I only know a few words."

"Come up with me." Flounder told her.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Ashley asked.

"I think it could help." Flounder said. "Besides, I know you're worried about Ariel, too." They swam up to the surface.

Scuttle landed close by. Sebastian followed. "How's it going, kiddo?" Scuttle asked.

"Oh, no. Ariel, please tell me you haven't given up already." Sebastian said.

"I'm not Ariel." Ashley told him. "Turn around." He did. Ariel was walking with Eric. He turned back to her.

"How…who…"

"I'm Ashley. I'm covering for Ariel at the palace."

"How is it possible?"

"I'm magic." Ashley explained. "I don't know how or why, but I can do little things, like lifting a pearl without touching it. I also become a mermaid whenever I go into the sea." She added last part reluctantly.

"It's true. She's a mermaid and a human." Scuttle added.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I was afraid if the King found out, he'd banish me. Besides, I love it down in the sea so much and Ariel's like the best friend I've never had."

"I see." Sebastian said.

"Please don't be too hard on her. I asked her to come with me." Flounder explained.

"It's okay, Flounder. I shouldn't have come here in the first place." Ashley pointed out "You know where to find me." She jumped back into the water. She swam deep enough to not see the surface. Being up there reminded her of her family, and Brandon.

She sighed. Brandon was probably wondering where she was. She never realized how much she actually cared about him. But now, they were worlds apart, separated by the rules. She looked at the pendant around her neck and swam off. She remembered a song she wrote before and sang it. She swam up to the secret rock where she first encountered Scuttle near the sea.

She closed her eyes, knowing she couldn't stay up for very long. "You are quite a singer, child." She looked down to see Sebastian next to her. "You are very talented."

"Thanks. Of course, since I look like Ariel, I also sound like her a little." Ashley pointed out. "I was just feeling a little lonely, I guess."

"It's your human friend, isn't it?" Scuttle asked, landing next to her. She nodded. She was afraid to speak.

"I understand why you kept this hidden." Sebastian told her.

"I'm so confused, I don't even know where home is anymore." Ashley said, looking away from him.

"Trust your heart, girl." Sebastian told her. "It's the only way you'll ever know." Ashley nodded.

"I just wish I knew how I felt about him before all this. Sure, he never really understood, but he's the only person that's really been there." Ashley explained.

"Sounds like you're in love with him." Scuttle said. Ashley looked up at him. "Well, I've seen a lot of the human world. It's one of the few things I've noticed."

"You should check on Ariel." Ashley told him. He flew off, leaving her with Sebastian. "You guys are going to have to help her if you can. I have a plan to save everyone, but you need to trust me."

"Alright." Sebastian told her. She jumped back into the sea and swam into the Grotto. Then she took the tunnel up and sat down to rest in her cave. She hid in the far end in case anyone showed up.

"I just have to get through today. But when the sun rises tomorrow, I need to be ready for whatever she has in store." Ashley said. She knew that the witch was strong and powerful and that she couldn't face her alone. But if her plan worked, she would be able to help Ariel remain human.


	15. Resurfacing

Early the next morning, Ashley swam up toward the surface. The spell was already beginning to wear off. She swam up into her cove and watched the sun rise from a distance. She felt herself change back to her true mermaid form. She saw a form enter the cave. She gasped and quickly dove back into the water. "I can't let him see me like this. Not yet, anyway."

Brandon entered and turned when he heard a splashing sound. He looked, but there was nobody around. He walked out, wondering where Ashley was.

Meanwhile, underwater, Ashley swam away from the Grotto. She looked at it one last time. "I hope this works." She swam upward, back toward the surface until she broke through. Scuttle landed near the rocks.

"Ariel needs you." Scuttle told her. "Something's happened." Ashley headed underwater and swam toward the dock area.

When she came out of the water, Ariel looked surprised to see her. "Hi, Ariel. I heard you were up here. How's it going?" Then she noticed Ariel's eyes were full of tears. Then she realized something else. When she had passed by Ursula's cave, she didn't sense anything at all. She normally got chills whenever she swam by.

"Ariel, I'm going to help you." Ashley told her. "I can't tell you everything, but I do know this, Eric does care about you. He's just under a spell."

"How would you know?" Flounder asked.

"Because I know what magic is like and this has the dark kind written all over it." Ashley told him. "Scuttle, could you check up on Eric's fake girlfriend? And you two," She turned to Flounder and Sebastian. "I need you two to watch Ariel while I take care of something." She headed back into the water for a few seconds, then surfaced and turned back to her human form at the beach.

She headed over to the cave, where she found Brandon waiting for her. "Brandon?"

"Ashley, you're back."

"Brandon, listen to me. My friend Ariel, she needs help."

"Ariel? That strange quiet girl that's supposed to be marrying the prince?" Brandon asked.

"How did you know…" Ashley began.

"It was in the paper. They say she was discovered at a shipwreck." Brandon told her. "Why do you ask?"

"It's a long and complicated story." Ashley told him. "But I need you to trust me when I say she could end up in big trouble." She clutched her pendant.

"Where did you get that?" Brandon asked.

"Ariel's the one who found it. She gave it to me. I think it may have been my mother's." Ashley told him. "She's been helping me look into things. But I still need your help."

"What do you need?"

"Do you know anything about mermaid legends? Anything that might say anything about a mermaid becoming human?" Ashley asked.

"I think there's one I've heard of a while ago, only I don't remember much of it." Brandon said.

"Can you remember anything at all that could help?"

"All I remember is that the mermaid returned to the sea in order to protect her loved ones on the surface, but she vanished soon after."

"Does it say what happened to her?"

"No, just speculation that she may have either turned into bubbles or was being kept prisoner."

"Ariel." Ashley whispered. She knew she wasn't about to let Ariel become the witch's next prisoner. "I have to go! Thanks for you're help!"

"Wait." Brandon grabbed her arm. "What's this all about, Ashley? We used to be friends and now you're taking off?"

"Brandon, it's not like that." Ashley told him. "It's hard to explain right now, but Ariel is in trouble and I'm the only one who can help her."

"What is it about this girl?" Brandon asked.

"Let's just say she's unique." Ashley told him. She looked at the horizon. The sun was beginning to set. This wasn't good. "You can come if you want, but no matter what happens, do NOT go into the water! Head back to the cave if it looks like it's going to storm."

"Okay." Brandon told her. They ran to the edge of the beach. Ashley showed up just in time to see Ariel talking with Eric. She smiled. It was good to hear her voice again. Suddenly, she heard a gasp of pain and shock. Ariel was returning to her mermaid form.

"Oh, no." Ashley said.

"What's happening?" Brandon asked.

"Brandon, about Ariel…" Ashley began. Suddenly, Eric was all alone on the dock. She ran over to him. "What happened?"

"That girl…whatever she was…she's got Ariel!" Eric told her.

"I'm going to help her. Brandon, head back now! Trust me, I'll be okay." Ashley told him. She jumped into the sea and made sure to duck behind some corral so the witch wouldn't see her human form. Brandon looked at the water, then followed Ashley's advice and headed for the caves.

"Aren't you coming?" Brandon asked.

"No. I've got to save Ariel." Eric told him.


	16. Friends Till the End

Underwater, Ashley swam out of her hiding place and saw the King trading his life for Ariel's. "What are we going to do?" A familiar voice asked.

"Flounder! Sebastian!" Ashley turned around in surprise. "Don't worry. I can help, but right now, I need you to get to safety."

"Watch yourself, child. The Sea Witch can be quite nasty." Sebastian told her.

"I know." Ashley said. She glanced over at Ariel. She looked sad and frightened. "Ariel." She called softly.

"This is my fault." Ariel whispered to her.

"No, it isn't." Ashley said. "We can do this." The rest of the princesses were in the palace. Suddenly, Ursula turned around.

"Well, what's this? Friends with the youngest princess?"

"You knew that when we did that glamour spell." Ashley pointed out.

"That's true. And now you'll be here to watch her demise." Suddenly, the pearl necklace gave a shock.

"What's going on?" Ariel asked.

"This is your chance. You have to get out of here, now!" Ashley told her.

"What happened?" The Sea Witch asked.

"You forgot about our little deal. Under no circumstances can you harm Ariel or me. Remember?" Ashley pointed out.

"You said that?" Ariel asked.

"You're an amazing friend, Ariel. I'm not going to let anyone destroy you." Ashley told her. "We have to go, now. It's only a matter of time before she finds a loophole." Ariel nodded and they started to swim off.

Suddenly, Ashley heard a sound and looked up. "Oh, no." Ariel turned around. Eric was on the ocean.

"Ariel, you have to help Eric." Ashley told her.

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine. I'm going to the palace to make sure your sisters remain safe." Ashley told her. "Then I'll go back and meet my friend. It's time he knew about all this. Good luck." She swam off in the direction of the palace.

"How's it going?" Flounder asked her.

"Not so well. I'm afraid that Eric's in danger." Ashley explained.

"And Ariel?"

"She'll be okay. That friendship bracelet I gave her is charmed for protection." Ashley told him. "What about her sisters? Are they all in the palace?"

"Ask Sebastian." Flounder told her.

She swam into the palace immediately. "Hey, your Ariel's friend, right?" She turned around.

"Yeah."

"We have no idea where she is."

"Ariel's safe. She's in the courtyard." Ashley told them. "But it isn't safe for you to leave. The Sea Witch has gotten stronger and who knows what'll happen if she finds you?"

"But our little sister is out there."

"I've seen what she can do. I know she can handle herself." Ashley said. "Goodness, it's no wonder she ran away the first time. You all think that she isn't strong enough for anything."

Sebastain appeared as she swam out of the palace. "Where are you going?"

"To Ariel's Grotto." She told him. "It's the only way I can slip out of here."

"Be careful." She swam into the secret tunnel and surfaced as fast as she could. She climbed onto the ledge and stood up.

"Ashley. So this is where you come when there's a storm." Brandon said. She looked at him in shock. She had hoped he hadn't seen her change between forms.

"Wait, there's a storm?" Ashley said. She peeked out of the cave. Sure enough, the sky had darkened and there was thunder and lightning everywhere. She ran back toward the water.

"What's wrong?" Brandon asked.

"It's not an ordinary storm!" Ashley realized. "I need to go back in there!"

"In the middle of this? Are you crazy?"

"Brandon, listen to me! Right now, everyone is in danger, including you!" Ashley told him. "Everyone on the surface and in the ocean. I need to do something." She turned around. "If we survive this, promise me that you won't tell anyone. You can't tell anyone."

"Tell them what?" Brandon asked. Ashley jumped into the water and didn't re-surface. He saw a small glow form under the surface. "Ashley?" Ashley popped her head out of the water.

"Yeah?"

"Watch yourself." Brandon told her. Ashley nodded and jumped back in. For a second, Brandon thought he saw something different about her.

Ashley found Ariel in trouble. "Ariel!"

"Ashley!" Ariel yelled. She was surrounded by a mini-current.

"Your bracelet." Ashley told her. "Use your bracelet." Ariel looked at her wrist where her small pearl bracelet was. Ashley swam over as close as she could without getting trapped in it herself. She glanced at her wrist to find her own bracelet. "I'm not going to let her get away with this." She told her.

Ariel reached out for her. Ashley grabbed her hand. Both their bracelets started glowing. Then the current that separated them disappeared as well as the glow. "Ariel, you're out!"

"Thank you!" Ariel hugged her. "You're the most amazing friend I've ever had."

"I could say the same about you." Ashley told her. "You better make sure Eric's okay."

"What about you?"

"It's time I came clean with Brandon." Ashley said. "I just hope he's not mad at me for ditching him again." She turned around, then she turned back. "I really hope things work out with you and Eric."

"Thanks." Ariel said. Ashley swam toward the surface.

On the beach, Brandon was waiting outside the cove when he saw her. "There you are. What…" He stared as he saw her glow and return to human form.

"Hey, Brandon." Ashley said.


	17. Secrets Revealed

"Ashley? You're…"

"I know. It's a lot to take in." Ashley told him. "I didn't believe it myself at first."

"So that's what you've been hiding."

"You can't tell anyone, Brandon." Ashley told him.

"So, what's it like down there?"

"It's really amazing. If I ever get permission, I'd take you to see for yourself."

"Is your friend…Is she like you?"

"Not quite." Ashley said. "But I still can't shake the fact that my mother could be a mermaid."

"You're mother?" Brandon asked.

"But I still don't have all the pieces put together yet." Ashley said. "I don't know where she is, or if she's still alive for that matter."

"Do whatever you need to do."

"Hey, Brandon?" Ashley said. "Thank you. You've been really supportive of everything lately."

"Hey, we're always going to be friends, Ashley."

"Maybe not always just friends." Ashley told him. "During my time in the sea, I realized that."

"You're into me?" Brandon asked.

"Kinda." Ashley blushed.

"Awesome."

"And I'm done with the secrets." She let go of his hands. "I'm going back to straighten everything out. And hopefully, things will work out with Ariel, too."

Ashley

"Ariel?" She put a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"

"Eric's unconscious." Ariel told her. "I don't know if he's okay." She seemed really worried.

"Look, I can't be sure, but I think he'll be alright." Ashley told her. Then she gasped. "Ariel…" Ariel didn't know what was going on at first, then she looked down. Her tail was glowing. She noticed King Triton nearby. Then she understood. "You're turning into a human."

"I'm sorry we never got to find her."

"It's okay. I think I know how to find her now. This necklace might be a clue." Ashley told her. "If it weren't for you finding it, I never would've made it this far." Ariel hugged her.

"Thank you for everything. You're an amazing friend."

"I'll meet you on the surface one day." Ashley said. She watched as Ariel ran over to Eric, who had finally woken up. She then headed back underwater to find Sebastian and the King.

"Well, it looks like she finally got her happy ending." Sebastian said.

"Hopefully I will too, after this." Ashley said.

"Ashley, I understand that you also tried to help her." The King spoke.

"Yes. Ariel's my friend and I'd do anything to help her."

"Thank you for helping my little girl."

"You know, she's not as little as you think." Ashley said. "When it comes down to it, she can be kind of tough."

"Well, its hard watching your youngest child grow up."

"I wouldn't know. I'm an only child." Ashley told him. "And I'm also not as I appear."

"What are you doing?"

"The time for secrets is over, Sebastion." Ashley told him. "I don't know how it's possible, but I'm half-human, half-mermaid. And for some reason I have magic powers. I grew up in the human world, unaware of my mermaid half until recently."

"So you're part human?"

"I apologize for my deception." Ashley told him. "I'll accept whatever punishment you decide to give me."

"A human risking their life to protect one of our kind?"

"Well, Eric just destroyed the sea-witch, didn't he?" Ashley pointed out.

"Sir, do you think it's possible?" Sebastion asked. "Could she be the light one?"

"I never thought of it that way."

"What are you talking about?" Ashley asked.

"Years ago, there was a legend that said that a witch with the powers of light would help bring peace and balance to her world and ours."

"And you think this witch is me?" Ashley said. "It was weird enough when I found out I was a mermaid." Then a thought came to her. "Speaking of which, have you heard any legends about a mermaid that lived in the human world?"

"I believe there is one. Why do you ask?"

"I have reason to believe that my mother is a mermaid." Ashley told him. "Ariel found this and gave it to me. For some reason, I feel it belonged to her."

"May I see?" Ashley took it off and handed it to Triton. He looked carefully. "It looks like the one that she used to wear."

"You know her?"

"I've heard of her. They called her Miranda."

"What happened?" Ashley asked.

"It was before contact between our kinds got banished. Many years before that, this beautiful mermaid was given the ability to come and go at will." He explained to her. "She was very kind and fell deeply in love with a human."

"My father." Ashley realized. "Did he know?"

"No one knows for certain. It was never clear if he did or not." Triton said. "One day, however, there was an accident and all merfolk were called back to the sea. Though she didn't want to, the mermaid left her human and returned to the sea."

"The legend says that she vanished after that. That she just disappeared." Ashley said.

"How'd you know?"

"I've been talking with some friends about it." Ashley explained. "But if there are any ideas?"

"Some say that there was a witch who trapped her deep inside her cave, others say that she got trapped in a canyon."

"I think I know where she is now." Ashley said, realizing she knew exactly where she might be. "Thank you for your help."

"It's been an honor meeting with you." Triton told her.

"Check in with us every now and then, okay?" Sebastion asked.

"Of course." Ashley said.

"Good luck, child." Ashley swam off to Ariel's grotto and grabbed the shell that she'd found the day she found out she was a mermaid. Then, she headed toward what used to be Ursula's cave.


	18. Miranda

Back underwater, Ashley found the cave. It was mostly destroyed. There were holes in the walls and ceiling. "This place looks like it could use a makeover." She swam into the cave. A small gleam of light flashed briefly. She swam over to wear it reflected and gasped in shock.

There was a mermaid encased in what looked like an ice block. Her eyes were closed and her long, dark hair had drifted back behind her. There was a small hole in the center of the case. Ashley touched the glass-like substance. "Miranda?" She asked. The mermaid didn't move, nor did she seem to respond. She didn't know if she could hear her.

She looked down at her necklace. It was glowing again. She looked at the case. The mermaid stirred briefly, before going back to sleep. "All these years trapped down here. How can I save her?" Suddenly, she noticed something strange about the shape of the hole. It was shaped almost like a seashell.

She pulled out the gold shell that she found on the beach weeks earlier. "I hope this works." She placed the shell into the hole and pushed. It was like a lock and key. She focused all of her power on it. As if on its own, the prison around the mermaid broke. She fell to the floor. Ashley swam over to her side.

"Are you okay?" She asked. The mermaid finally woke up. She looked around and blinked a few times.

"Yeah. How'd you get me out of there?" She asked.

"Are you Miranda?" Ashley asked.

"Yes. So I take it you've heard the legend?"

"It's no legend. It's real." Ashley said. "You're the mermaid that lived above, right?"

"How do you know that?" Miranda asked. "And how could you have broken the lock on that thing? It was protected by dark magic."

"And it was broken by light magic." Ashley told her. "Here, you should rest on top of here."

"What if the Sea Witch comes back?"

"The Sea Witch is gone. She can't effect anyone down here anymore." Her necklace glowed again.

"That necklace…" Miranda said. "Where did you find that necklace?"

"A friend of mine found it." Ashley said. "She left to live with the humans."

"So, the ban is lifted, then?"

"I hope so." Ashley said. "You were saying about the necklace?"

"I lost that necklace before that horrible witch imprisoned me here." Miranda said. "Unusual that it would choose another mermaid."

"Unless she was only half-mermaid." Ashley said. She looked at her, realizing. "It's really you. You're my mom."

"Ashley?" Miranda looked at her. "You've grown up now."

"I'm only sixteen." Ashley said. "I didn't learn about the mermaid thing until recently. And I know what happened. Something caused an upset in the sea so you had to leave. I'm guessing it's when the ban was imposed."

"You're right, but some facts are missing." Miranda told her. "It's time you knew. I was torn between staying down here in the sea or returning to my family on land. The Sea Witch promised to help. As you can see, that didn't end well."

"Strange she didn't recognize me as your daughter, then again, she never learned of you being on land, did she?" Ashley asked.

"No. It was kept secret." Miranda said. "Before Triton had become king, he had gifted me with the ability to change my form so that I could visit the land every now and then."

"And then you met my father."

"I never meant to leave for good." Miranda said.

"I think it's time we had a family reunion." Ashley said. "I guess that same ability you had got passed down to me."

"I believe you are right." Miranda told her. "Let's head up."

"Just to let you know, the king knows about me." Ashley said. "He's the one who told me about where you were prisoned."

"If I'm ever allowed back in the sea after this, I'll visit him." Miranda said as they swam just below the surface. "So, who helped you figure it out?"

"Well, my sort-of boyfriend Brandon told me about the legend. He's been my best friend since we were kids." Ashley explained. "But if it weren't for Ariel's help, I wouldn't have been able to recognize you."

"Triton's youngest daughter?" Miranda asked.

"You know her?"

"I've only heard of her." Miranda said.

"She's a really good friend of mine." Ashley told her. "She's the one who found this." She held up the necklace. She looked up at the surface. The sun was starting to set. "What do you say we get up there?"

"I've been trapped down here for sixteen years. I think I should be allowed to head back to my family." Miranda said. Ashley jumped out of the water and returned to her human form. Miranda surfaced shortly after and was struggling.

"You okay?"

"I'm not strong enough." Miranda said. "I guess while I was trapped, I'd forgotten how to do this."

"Hang on. Let me try helping." Ashley said. She took Miranda's hand and closed her eyes. "Focus on your human life, Miranda. Try to remember what it was like. That's what helped me." Miranda closed her eyes and felt herself changing. Ashley opened her eyes and noticed she was glowing. She channeled it into helping Miranda become human.

When she opened her eyes again, Miranda was gone. "Miranda?" She asked.

"Right here." She heard her say. She turned. Miranda was sitting near the low tide area. She was wearing a red blouse with a small sweater over it. A long skirt covered her legs. Ashley looked at her.

"You have legs again." She said.

"If it weren't for your help, I'd probably still be a mermaid." Miranda said. She stood up.

"So, how do you know the king?" Ashley asked.

"We're old friends." Miranda explained. "I knew the former Queen, so I knew him through her."

"Oh, you should know, Dad doesn't know about any of this." Ashley told her.

"It's okay. I'll wait for you right here. I'm not going to go back in there. I'd like to spend some time on land for a while."

"I'll be right back." Suddenly, she walked right into Brandon.

"Hey, watch it, mermaid girl." He said.

"You watch it!" Ashley shot back, laughing. "How'd you know where to find me?"

"I guessed." Brandon said. He noticed Miranda sitting nearby. "Who is this?" Ashley looked to Miranda. She nodded to her.

"Brandon, this is my mother, Miranda."


End file.
